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Superfoods for bone health
Dr. Susan E. Brown

Early summer superfoods for osteoporosis

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There are so many reasons why we should eat fresh whole foods in season, and it’s even better if we select foods that strengthen and support our bones.

As we enter summer, I want to share with you some of my favorite seasonal foods that fit the criteria of “superfoods” for bones — and I also want to share exactly what these criteria are to help you identify even more foods on your own.

In developing my daily diet, I think in terms of 11 major food groups, which you’ll see below with my early summer superfoods favorites. Why not add your own favorite summer foods to my list? Have fun with this; putting a little of your attention on the food groups and their ideal daily servings will likely result in more diverse and wholesome summer eating.  Notice the abundance of fresh greens in your market and pick the ones that you enjoy.

Early summer superfoods for bone health

Vegetables
4.5 cups/day
– Green leafy vegetables
– Asparagus
– Snow peas
– Watercress
– Lettuce
– Dandelion greens

Protein
60-80 g/day (as tolerated)
– Fresh salmon
– Lentils
– Lean meats

Nuts and seeds
2-3 servings/day
– Almonds (1st nut of the summer)
– Sesame seeds

Water
8 glasses/day
– Pure water
– Lemon water
– Iced green tea with mint

Fermented foods
1-2 servings/day
– Kombucha
– Lacto-fermented pickles

Root crops & squashes
1-2 servings/day
– Scallions
– Summer squash

Fruits
2-3 servings/day
– Strawberries
– Raspberries
– Blueberries

Dairy
0-2 servings/day
– Kefir
– Yogurt

Oils & fats
1-2 tbsp/day
– Olive oil
– Coconut oil
– Avocado

Whole Grains
1-2 servings/day
– Quinoa
– Whole grain rice

Herbs & spices
1-2 tsp/day
– Parsley
– Mint
– Cilantro

What makes a food a “superfood” for bone health?

Here are the key qualities of food that in my book earn them the title of “bone superfood.”  Think about the foods that you like to eat. How many of them meet these qualifications?

Early summer is a time when Nature wakes from her winter rest and growth abounds. I send each of you my best wishes for a joyous early summer, full of the season’s growth and great tastes and flavors!

Pin our easy reference chart!

Dr. Susan E. Brown

7 superfoods that help decrease bone breakdown

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Updated 11/4/21

I’ve written before about advice issued by the U.S. Surgeon General to use nutrition as a first line approach for improving bone health. There is so much encouraging research to back up this wise guidance, including this recent study from New Zealand.

The scoop? Women with osteopenia may be able to reduce their bone breakdown by consuming a daily amount of 9 or more servings of vegetables and fruits. But not just any vegetables and fruits. Researchers highlighted seven  bone superfoods that can make the biggest difference. This is helpful information for anyone trying to fill their plates with foods that have benefits for our bones.

Here’s what these researchers found when they tested the effects of known bone super foods on women’s ability to build bone.

How the study tested bone superfoods

The study group of 142 postmenopausal women (mean age 60 years) was divided into three groups: a control group, which had no change to their existing diets, and two intervention groups of 50 women each, both of which were instructed to increase their consumption of vegetables and fruits to 9 or more servings (1/2 cup cooked or 1 cup raw) each day and to add some aromatic culinary herbs to each meal. Participants in one group chose from foods that emphasized specific vegetables/herbs/fruit known to reduce bone breakdown (aka bone superfoods). The other group was left to choose their 9 servings per day, but could not consume any of the bone superfoods.

Most of the women in the intervention groups (52%) had osteopenia; the rest mainly had normal bone density, although a few had osteoporosis.

No surprise: More plant foods lead to better bone health

The study found that:

  • Both intervention groups consuming the 9 servings of vegetables experienced significantly reduced loss of calcium and a rise in urinary pH compared to the control group.
  • Women in the group that ate the bone superfoods were the only ones to reach the daily internationally recommended level of 4700 mg of the key bone nutrient, potassium.
  • A significant reduction in bone breakdown was seen in women with osteopenia whose 9 or more servings of vegetables and fruits included the bone superfoods. This is a very positive marker, as excessive bone breakdown leads to further osteopenia and even osteoporosis.

Are you eating these superfoods?

Here are the foods that are so effective at building bone. Some of them may surprise you!

  • Green, leafy vegetables like kale, bok choy or red cabbage
  • Citrus fruits
  • Prunes
  • Onions
  • Broccoli
  • Tomatoes
  • Green beans

Here at the Center for Better Bones, we’ve long championed our Alkaline for Life Diet® — high in vegetables, fruits, nuts, seeds, pulses and spices — as the ideal bone-enhancing eating program. Our helpful graphic shows you what a bone-superfood Alkaline Diet looks like. How close is your current diet to this ideal?

superfoods for bones

Reference
Gunn CA, Weber JL, McGill A-T, Kruger MC. Increased intake of selected vegetables, herbs and fruit may reduce bone turnover in post-menopausal women. Nutrients 2015; 7(4): 2499–2517.

blueberries superfood
Dr. Susan E. Brown

Blueberries top my list of super fruits

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A summer favorite returns! As part of my most popular blog series, this look at the bone-strengthening power of blueberries includes a delicious smoothie recipe with not only blueberries, but also green tea!

When I’m traveling, I make it a point to avoid the fast food restaurants and other convenience “food” found along the road by packing my cooler with snacks.

I make an exception to my roadside rule when I’m on one of my drives in Maine. I know I can look forward to farm stands filled with all varieties of fresh fruits and vegetables. Especially those carrying wild blueberries — one of my bone-building super foods!

Blueberries have become a regular fixture on super food lists because they’ve been shown to help prevent cardiovascular issues, diabetes and cancer due to their high concentration of antioxidants and other health-promoting compounds.

BlueberriesWe’ve also learned blueberries may help prevent osteoporosis in postmenopausal women. Using animal models designed to represent menopausal osteoporosis, researchers found that when animals were given blueberries, the blueberry “treatment” was able to prevent the loss of bone mineral density throughout the whole body. Those who were not given blueberries suffered a 6% loss of bone density throughout their bodies.

What’s most interesting to me is that researchers report the mechanism by which blueberries prevent bone loss is different than other fruits studied. Blueberries appear to reduce bone breakdown (resorption) rather than by increasing bone formation as do dried plums, for example.

I’m looking forward to finding out more about the many different ways the foods we eat contribute to our bone health. Remember, our bodies are capable of building bone strength if we give them the consistent support they need. You can do just that with some delicious blueberries for dessert.

 

My favorite blueberry smoothie

½ cup coconut milk

½ cup coconut water

½ cup blueberries

1 teaspoon matcha green tea

(You may also add ¼ to ½ of an avocado to boost healthy fat and potassium, as well as create a creamy texture)

Blend. Enjoy!

 

Reference:

Devareddy, L., et al. 2007. Blueberry prevents bone loss in ovariectomized rat model of postmenopausal osteoporosis. J. Nutr Biochem; 19 (2008) 694-699

 

Better Bones Blog
Dr. Susan E. Brown

Green tea: my #1 bone-building super food

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Special note: This summer I’m featuring some of the most popular reader blogs. This blog on green tea generated a lot of good discussion. Make sure you read the many comments too.

Many of my blogs focus on food. One reason may be that there are so many good things to eat —almond butter is a current favorite. But more important, we’re constantly learning so much about the powerful bone-building effects of food.

Green tea with leavesMaking good nutritional choices is one of the simplest and most immediate ways to take action for strengthening bone. So expect a few more blogs about food with a focus on the “super foods” that you should think about adding to your meals and snacks.

Green tea is full of antioxidant compounds and multiple studies suggest it protects against bone loss and osteoporosis. Specifically, drinking green tea appears to stimulate mineralization to generate bone formation, while at the same time inhibiting the formation of cells that remove bone tissue. And there are literally hundreds of studies that connect green tea to improved health in addition to its bone-building benefits.

Here are some tips to get the best cup of green tea

• Use a teapot rather than a tea ball. Green tea needs room to expand as it steeps.

• Take care with water temperature. I suggest heating water to almost boiling (about 180 degrees). If the water is too hot, the leaves will cook the tea and it will be too bitter. Warm your cup with hot water first so that the temperature of the brewing water won’t cool too quickly.

• Pay attention to water quality. If your water tastes bad, your tea will taste bad.

• Steep from 1-3 minutes. The smaller the leaf size, the more quickly the tea will infuse. However, if you steep the tea too long, the tea will again be too bitter. You can experiment a bit to find the taste that you like best.

• Store tea in a cool, dry place.

• For those who want to avoid caffeine (as I do), put the tea in the near boiling water for 30 seconds, pour off this water and then make the tea. This removes most of the caffeine.

A Chinese proverb says “better to be deprived of food for three days than tea for one.” I’m not going to suggest you skip meals, but I do recommend you make drinking green tea a priority for bone health!

 

References:

Chen, Z., et al. 2003. Habitual tea consumption and risk of osteoporosis: A prospective study in the women’s health initiative observational cohort. Am. J. Epidemiol., 158 (8), 772–781. URL (accessed 11.11.2009).

Daniells, S. 2009. Green tea extracts linked to healthier bones: Study.  (accessed 11.10.2009).